Clothes washing machine



Nov. 9, 1965 R. R. POOLE 3,216,224

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed June 10, 1963 5 00000 40 0 (/03; oOOOOO0oooo i /2 United States Patent 3,216,224 CLOTHES WASHING MACEDonald Robertson Poole, Berkharnsted, England, assignor to GeneralMotors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation 'of Delaware Filed June10, 1963, Ser. No. 286,703 Claims priority, application Great Britain,June 28, 1962, 24,846/ 62 6 Claims. (Cl. 6823) This invention relates toclothes washing machines.

It is particularly concerned with such machines as have a tube whichcontains an agitator for washing the clothes and which is rotatable toeffect some drying of the clothes by centrifugal action. The .agitatormay be of the reciprocatory or the rotary type.

According to the present invention the clothes washer machine comprisesa tub and an agitator therein, in which the wall of the tub has a seriesof radial and upwardly extending grooves of inwardly concave form and aseries of external plates closing said grooves to form sedimentextraction channels having inlet openings at the bottom of the tub.

By means of such a construction any grit, sand and like matter sinks tothe bottom of the tub and passes through the drain holes during the washphase, and thus it is practicable not only to effect an overflow rinsewith minimum retention of grit and sand in the clothes, but it is alsopracticable to spin the tub and eject water through the overflow holes,and simultaneously eject water and grit through the radial ducts.

Preferably the drain holes communicate with the lower ends of the radialchannels through the intermediary of a common annular drain channel orheader.

The radial ducts can conveniently be formed by hollow ribs pressed inthe tub wall and closed by the strips. This construction effects astiffening and strengthening of the tub.

The scope of the monopoly is defined by the appended claims and how theinvention may be performed is hereinafter particularly described withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a clothes washer machinetub; and

FIGURE 2 is a section along the lines II-]I of FIG- URE 1.

Only the tub portion of clothes washer machine has been shown, becausevarious types of centrifugal extraction machines are known and thisinvention is applicable to any upright axis tub type. The drivemechanism and the arrangement of other extraneous parts are not shown.

The water collection portion is indicated generally at A in FIGURE 1. Inone convenient construction the tub 1, contains a verticallyreciprocatable agitator 2, and is mounted for rotation about thevertical axis co-incident with the agitator axis. It is formed withvertical sides which curve towards the fiat base 3; and adjacent itsupper edge there is a series of holes 4 for the overflow of water andwhich determines the normal water level in the tub. Above the holesthere is a flange or inturned lip 5 which prevents the clothes frombeing thrown out of the tub during spinning.

In the flat base 3 of the tub there is an annular channel 6 having aseries of drain-holes 7, which lead into a lower annular channel orheader 8. The drain-holes are of sulficient size for any grit or sand orlike material to pass through into the lower annular channel.

Spaced around the tub circumferentially are a plurality ofinwardly-pressed ribs 9, each closed by an outer strip or plate 10, toform ducts. At their lower ends the ducts communicate with the lowerchannel or header 8; and at their upper ends 11, they are open to theoutside such that the lower edges 12, of the openings 11, are slightlyabove the top edges of the over-flow holes 4, around the rim of the tub.

With such an arrangement, the normal washing phase of the whole cycle ofoperations is effected by means of the agitator. Heavy particles ofgrit, sand and the like sink to the bottom and pass through thedrain-holes 7, to the annular channel or header 8.

If it is desired to have an overflow rinse, the rinse Water is passedinto the tub and flows out of th drain-holes 4, carrying any scum andother floating material.

After the wash and rinse phases of the complete cycle, the tub isrotated to effect partial drying and drainage. As a consequence some ofthe water passes out through the upper overflow holes 4, and some of thewater contained in the lower annular channel 8 passes upwardly throughthe ducts 9 and out through the outlets 11, adjacent the upper rim 5 ofthe tub 1.

I claim:

1. A clothes washer machine including a rotatable single walled tub, andan agitator therein, the wall of said tub having a series of radial andupwardly extending grooves of inwardly concave form, and a series ofexternal plates closing said grooves to form sediment extractionchannels having inlet openings at the bottom of the tub.

2. A machine according to claim 1, in which said inlet openingscommunicate with drain holes in the bottom of the tub through theintermediary of an annular channel.

3. A machine according to claim 1, in which said grooves have upper endsforming sediment outlets opening to the outside of the tub, said outletopenings having lower edges which are slightly above the top edges ofoverflow holes around the rim of the tub.

4. A rotatable single walled tub adapted to contain a liquid androtatable to centrifuge the liquid therefrom, the wall of said tubhaving a series of spaced apart radial and upwardly extending grooves ofinwardly-pressed form defining ribs to strengthen said tub, and a seriesof substantially cross-sectionally flat, imperforate, external platemeans closing said grooves to form sediment extraction channels havinginlet openings at the bottom of said tub, and said plate means fastenedto said wall on opposite sides of said grooves to assist said grooves instrengthening said tub during rotation thereof.

5. A rotatable single walled tub adapted to contain a liquid androtatable to centrifuge the liquid therefrom, the wall of said tubhaving a series of radial and upwardly extending grooves ofinwardly-pressed form defining ribs to strengthen said tub, and a seriesof imperforate, external plate means closing said grooves to formsediment extraction channels having inlet openings at the bottom of saidtub, and said plate means fastened to said wall on opposite sides ofsaid grooves to assist said grooves in strengthening said tub duringrotation thereof.

6. The tub of claim 5 in which said inlet openings communicate withdrain holes in the bottom of the tub through the intermediary of anannular channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,481 4/52C-astner et al 68--23 1,428,010 9/22 Daniels 210-38,0 2,274,402 2/42Dunham 68-23 X 2,361,767 10/44 Hays 68-23 2,470,140 5 49 Castner 68232,509,753 5/50 Woodson 6823 X 2,683,535 7/54 Smith 6823 X IRVINGBUNEVICH, Primary Examiner.

4. A ROTATABLE SINGLE WALLED TUB ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A LIQUID ANDROTATABLE TO CENTRIFUGE THE LIQUID THEREFROM, THE WALL OF SAID TUBHAVING A SERIES OF SPACED APART RADIAL AND UPWARDLY EXTENDING GROOVES OFINWARDLY-PRESSED FORM DEFINING TIBS TO STRENGTHEN SAID TUB, AND A SERIESOF SUBSTANTIALLY CROSS-SECTIONALLY FLAT, IMPERFORATE, EXTERNAL PLATEMEANS CLOSING SAID GROOVES TO FORM SEDIMENT EXTRACTION CHANNELS HAVINGINLET OPENINGS AT THE BOTTOM OF SUBSTANAND SAID PLATE MEANS FASTENED TOSAID WALL ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID GROOVES TO ASSIST SAID GROOVES INSTRENGTHENING SAID TUB DURING ROTATION THEREOF.